Most Recent FO Features

2017 was indeed The Year of the Failed Completion. This is the stat where Joe Flacco stands out, but not in a good way. Also: a most conservative rookie, weird splits for Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers, and more Jarvis Landry shortcomings.

DEFINITELY WANT TO BLAME HIS FEET, NOT HIS HANDS

-- Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, taking the blame away from kicker Stephen Gostkowski, saying instead the whole team should be blamed for the loss to Denver. (ESPN.com)

IT WOULD TAKE A HELICOPTER TO GET OUT OF THAT HOLE

"I kept digging us in a hole and we just couldn't come out of it"

-- Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer, talking about his unusually high number of interceptions in his team’s last game. (ESPN.com)

PRETTY GOOD MEMORY FOR A GUY WHO WAS 15 AT THE TIME

"I remember the touchdown that Steve (Smith) had, a game or two before. Right down the middle, what was it the Rams?”

-- Panthers middle linebacker Luke Kuechly, attempting to recall the last Super Bowl that Panthers had played in, which was of course against the New England Patriots. (Panthers.com)

'TIS BUT A SCRATCH

"A plate and probably around 11 or 12 screws in my arm right now. It is what it is."

-- Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis, who broke his arm in the playoff win over Arizona and had surgery the next day, vowing to play in the Super Bowl against Denver. (NFL.com)

I'D KILL A MAN FOR A SLICE OF HAWAIIAN

"So if a man has the last piece of pizza in the world, are you going to take that last piece? One of y'all got to live! One of us has to win, and I'm not trying to lose. It's you and that one man. You gonna live or not? I'm trying to win. I don't care who you are."

THIS AIN'T NO DISCO/AND IT AIN'T NO COUNTRY CLUB EITHER/THIS IS L.A.

"I didn't start looking for places yet. They told us to hold on. We still don't know the full scoop in terms of where we'll be in OTAs and stuff. I'll wait a little but -- they told us to wait and they'll let us know from there."

-- Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, still living in St. Louis but knowing that he will soon be moving somewhere in the Los Angeles area. (NFL.com)

THIS MAN KNOWS WHERE HIS BREAD IS BUTTERED

“A whole lot of what we talk about as a team is going to have to be about not only protecting the football, but protecting Marcus. He’s a special talent, and we have to do all we can do to keep him upright.”

-- New Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Terry Robiskie, who has already figured out that his job security depends almost entirely on the health and success of quarterback Marcus Mariota. (TitansOnline.com)

SWAY THROUGH THE CROWD TO AN EMPTY SPACE

"We don't care about the outside world and any of the scrutiny or the talking the trash of our dancing or how much fun we're having. If you don't want us to have fun, stop us."

-- Panthers fullback Mike Tolbert, saying that anyone who doesn't like Carolina's exuberant celebrations on scoring plays is welcome to try to stop them from scoring in the first place. (ESPN.com)

SATISFIED WITH A JOB DONE RIGHT AND A WELL-DESERVED VICTORY?

"The next day, I felt about how you would think I felt."

-- Stanford offensive lineman Joshua Garnett, speaking at Senior Bowl practice about the time he ate seven prime ribs of up to 22 ounces each to win the Lawry's Beef Bowl eating contest his freshman year. (NFL.com)

390,000 PEOPLE IN CLEVELAND WISH THEY COULD DO THIS EVERY JANUARY

"After the season, I just took off. Let the dust kind of settle, refresh my mind and get ready for Hawaii."

-- Cleveland Browns center Alex Mack, explaining why he had not talked to his teammates about the hiring of new management in Paul DePodesta and Sashi Brown and a new coach in Hue Jackson. (NFL.com)

BACKUP QUARTERBACKS STILL MAKE A LOT OF MONEY

"You get a chance to sit back and learn what you need to learn and take care of your business off the field. I know if I got to sit behind somebody like a veteran quarterback, whoever it may be, I know that that would be a great learning experience to develop me mentally and physically in the game, give me a year just to sit back and see how you handle things professionally."

-- Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch, a likely first-round draft pick this April, explaining that he wouldn't mind starting his career as a backup to a veteran passer. (ESPN Radio 103.3 KESN-FM)

TONIGHT THE MUSIC SEEMS SO LOUD/I WISH THAT WE COULD LOSE THIS CROWD

"Hey listen… This might be my last rodeo, so, it sure has been a pleasure."

-- Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning to Patriots coach Bill Belichick after Denver defeated New England 20-18 to advance to the Super Bowl, which might be Manning's last NFL game. (NFL.com)

"I don't know if that's been confirmed… What happened to private conversations on the 50-yard line? They just don't exist anymore. ... There's no confirmation on that whatsoever… We are on to Carolina."

-- Manning, refusing to discuss the possibility of retirement with reporters while also bemoaning the fishbowl life of an NFL quarterback. (NFL.com)

IF THIS HAPPENS, THEY GET HARD KNOCKS EVERY YEAR, FOREVER, END OF DISCUSSION

"That would be awesome. I've actually never played with any of my brothers before. They've always been too old for me. ... Everyone else has played together, so to be on the same team, that would be a dream come true."

-- Kansas State fullback Glenn Gronkowski, on the possibility of playing with his brother Rob in New England. Brothers Chris and Dan also played in the NFL. (NFL.com)

Posted by: Vincent Verhei on 29 Jan 2016

12 comments, Last at
31 Jan 2016, 6:06pm by
Eddo

Comments

PRETTY GOOD MEMORY FOR A GUY WHO WAS 15 AT THE TIME"I remember the touchdown that Steve (Smith) had, a game or two before. Right down the middle, what was it the Rams?”
-- Panthers middle linebacker Luke Kuechly, attempting to recall the last Super Bowl that Panthers had played in, which was of course against the New England Patriots. (Panthers.com)

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I guess I don't get the snark over this. I pretty clearly remember the Super Bowl that was played when I was fifteen (Broncos over Falcons). And Kuechly wasn't saying the Panthers played the Rams in the Super Bowl, given that he says "a game or two before".

Presumably, based on the description, Kuechly wasn't able to remember the last time his team played in the Super Bowl, but could remember the game or two before that. Just seemed like more of an oddity that he remembered a non-Super Bowl.

As you said, you can remember the Super Bowl, as I'd guess most people could.